Mitsurigi Scrolls: Silver
by wikkiddaggerz
Summary: Follow the powerful demon Mitsurigi "The Wolf" Aikoto as he travels from Japan to England in the era of pirates and nobles. Along the way he will run into some old friends, as well as old rivals. In the end though, they will all have to work together to overcome a foe greater than any of them have ever faced before.
1. Chapter 1

9

Chapter One

Thunder shook the walls, rattling the windows of the small inn, but it was warm and dry inside. While rain pelted the roof overhead, sailors and other men sat at the tables, drinking ale and gambling with dice or cards. Ten sailors from a docked schooner and four unknown men called the inn home for the night, gathered in one corner while laughing and singing songs known only to men of the sea. Though the inn was also full of other guests, these loud and gruff men were the ones who kept the poor innkeepers daughter busy refilling cups with ale ever minute. Her eyes were heavy lidded and she moved sluggishly, obviously very tired. She had been on her feet, working, for twelve hours now.

During one of her few breaks, she sat down with a cup of cold, watered down ale. Sighing in exhaustion, she twirled her fingers in her knee-length blonde hair, tangled and frizzed from a hard day of work. Playing with one of the blonde ringlets, she sipped her drink and looked out the window into the pitch black of the storm. There was a blast of lightning which lit up the darkness outside, and she jumped back. Her cup shattered on the wooden floor, and she cried out, "Papa! It's Mitsurigi!"

The owner of the inn went rigid upon hearing his daughter scream. After his daughter had retreated behind him, he sat down the ale he was pouring and pulled a double barreled musket from under the bar. Everyone in the small building kept their eyes on the door except the sailors and the four strangers, who kept on drinking and laughing. Tension in the room tangibly rose as the door flew open and a tall figure walked in; it was a man wearing a long rain coat that covered everything except his head. His piercing eyes, one icy blue and the other lime green, scanned the room. Slowly, he stalked over to the sailors' corner, and sat down amongst them. Finally they were silent, staring with a mix of anger and shock at him. He nodded to the blonde girl, "Issa, an ale please." While his drink was prepared, he ran his fingers through his waist-length purple hair, pushing out any excess water before he put it into a ponytail with a red ribbon. He then smiled at the men when his drink was served, "How about a game of dice, men?"

Gulping loudly, the captain of the sailors gathered his dice into a cup and began to shake it, as did the other two sailors who were playing. Downing his drink in one gulp, Mitsurigi then pulled out a set of crystal dice and dropped them in the empty cup, shaking it. As he did so, the one eyed captain said in a cold voice, "I heard you was dead, Wolf..." When he slapped his cup down on the table, a vein on his bald head twitched just above his eye patch. Everyone in the inn watched the game closely.

Once the first cup hit the table, the others did the same. The smooth, deep voice of Mitsurigi sent shivers down a few spines, "I heard the same thing. You cannot imagine how excited I was when I found out that it was not true." He tilted his cup a little and looked at his dice, then stared the captain in the eye, "Twelve sixes."

This sent a hush over the crowd, then the sailors began to chuckle; that would mean every dice on the table would have to be a six, which was a nearly impossible wager. The captain roared loudly, "Mitsurigi, you are a liar and I call you out on it!" One by one, the four men lifted their cups from the table, showing their dice. On the table was an impossible bunch, all twelve dice showing clear sixes. "Damned demon!"

The bald man jumped up, pulling out a large musket which he aimed at Mitsurigi. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, he flew back and slammed into the wall before sliding down unconscious. Mitsurigi cracked his knuckled after the punch, then threw off his coat as the rest of the men moved to attack him. White and black metal streaked through the air as he pulled out his twin swords, Yin and Yang. Before they could move his coat aside, he killed half the sailors with a quick succession of slashes. He then spun, ignoring the two musket balls that blew through his neck. With a flurry of attacks, he took the lives of the remaining men. Once done, he put up his swords and popped his neck, the bullet wounds in it closing up quickly, leaving unmarked skin. Wiping blood off of his creamy, paper white skin, he stepped over corpses to the injured captain. Kneeling down, he took a piece of paper from the pack on his waist, reading it coldly, "This document ensures the payment of exactly one thousand gold to Mitsurigi "The Wolf" Aikoto upon his assassination of Captain Erin Lurick and his men. Signed, John Silver." He folded the contract and put it back up before picking up a discarded musket. He cocked the small pistol, and then shot Lurick in the heart, killing him quickly. He tossed the gun aside and broke off the dead man's necklace, tucking it in his pocket for proof.

Once this deed was done, he stood and turned to the rest of the inn, most of them too terrified to speak or move. He asked calmly, "He was here to meet some girl tonight. Who knows who she is or what he was meeting her for?" As he waited for an answer, he walked over to the bar and sat down ten gold. The innkeeper's eyes, as well as his daughters, went large with shock as they scooped up the gold, enough to feed them for two months. The man told her to put it in their safe, and then bowed to Mitsurigi. The lilac-haired assassin nodded to him, and then asked once more, "The girl, who and where is she? And is she a pirate as well?"

` No one answered and he squinted, laying his right hand on his black sword, pulling it to show a few inches of the ebony blade. The people all shrunk back, and then a voice came from the top of the stairs that led to the second floor, "It was me he was meeting, Mitsurigi." His eyes went wide for a second then went back to their icy squint. He spun around as he pulled out the sword, yelling something in Japanese that created a wave of black energy in the shape of a crescent moon, sending it towards the woman at the top of the stairs. The woman gasped in shock and jumped over the mass of dark power that smashed into the wall and blew out a large portion of it, leaving a hole to the outside that showed the storm clouds receding, moonlight pouring in.

"Watch it, old man!" The woman who had evaded the powerful attack growled and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Mitsurigi while she barred her own fangs, small and petite compared to his. She chuckled as he put up his sword, sitting down at a table. As he slowly began to tap his claws on the table top, she sauntered down the stairs and sat across from him. "So, fancy meeting you here, Mit."

Giving the faintest hint of a smile, he rolled his colorful eyes, "Old man? I still look younger than you do, kid." He laughed a little and picked up some random ale that a runway patron had not finished. He took a few gulps of it before offering her the drink. Everyone seemed to calm down, most of them interested in the fact that Mitsurigi, the legendary assassin had a friend.

She scoffed a little at his retort, waving off his offer to drink. As he downed the liquor in a few gulps, she said quietly, "It was you who asked me to stop aging at twenty. I wanted to stop at seventeen like you, but you would not allow it, remember?" Noticing the people staring at them, she felt her cheeks darken a little. By the way that his face looked and the fact he was not replying, she did have the joy of knowing she had won the argument. "Anyways, what are you doing here? I was supposed to meet Lurick to receive an assassination contract, but it seems you just put me out of a job," she murmured while looking over her shoulder at the dead captain.

"That's right; I was going to ask you something, Phoenix. Who is this John Silver man who hired me?" Mitsurigi asked her, pulling out the assassination contract. He opened it and slid it to her across the table while motioning for another mug of ale. The woman, Phoenix, picked up the paper and then looked up at him with an inquisitive expression. He blinked and shrugged, "I have not been here in England in four years, kid. I do not keep up with current events." Which was true: Mitsurigi had never much cared what was going on in the world, as long as he was getting paid and he was safe, he saw no reason to follow the news.

Phoenix rolled her eyes once more and sighed softly, "John Silver was a privateer up until three years, when he became a pirate. Rumors say he has robbed and sunk over one hundred ships in just three years, and manages to vanish, without a trace. He is now the most feared criminal in all of England, and most of the American Caribbean," she said with a doubtful look on her face, folding the paper and handing it to him. As he tucked it away in his kimono she asked, "Are you sure it was the real Captain John Silver? What did he look like...?" She spoke quietly and fidgeted, eager to hear if Mitsurigi had really been hired by the famed criminal. Equally eager were all the other people who remained in the inn, leaning towards Mitsurigi to hear him better.

"He was a tall man, with long gray hair hanging it braids. He was tan, and a little heavyset though he seemed pretty muscled as well. He seemed dangerous, but he had a metal peg from his right knee down, and a solid gold right eye. Does this sound like Silver?" He did not even need to ask, because everyone was looking surprised and not speaking. _So, my first day in England and I am hired by a legendary criminal. Things are off to a great start. _He had already finished his ale, and Issa sat him down another one without being asked, earning her a gold coin which she clutched like a gift from the heavens before running to show her father.

Phoenix was at a loss for words for a few moments, and then finally asked under her breath, hushed with anticipation, "When you meet him to get paid, will you take me? Captain Silver is something of an idol to me." She drummed her short claws on the table, excited to a great extent. His ale began to slosh and swirl and eventually foamed so it spilled from the cup and onto the table. When it splashed her hand, she calmed down and said quietly, "Still have trouble controlling my magic sometimes, as you can see. See? That is another reason for you to keep me around for the time being." His face hardened and he squinted, and was about to talk. She cut him off, "I have not seen you in nearly five years Mitsurigi... Don't you miss me at all?" She reached over, laying her cold hand on his, wrapping her slender fingers around his.

"Of course I miss you, kid. But you know how dangerous it is if we travel together," he replied, sounding a little forlorn and distant. He squeezed her hand, trying to comfort himself as much as her now that she had him thinking about their past. When he looked up from their hand to her face, the tears in her purple eyes broke his resolve. With a defeated sigh, he said slowly, "Alright, you can come with me to meet my client." He let go of her hand, though she let hers linger for a few seconds before pulling it away. Drinking what ale that she had not spilled out, he stood and left the inn, leaving everyone to loudly chatter and gossip about his client, the damages to the inn, and the woman who rushed off to keep up with him.

"Hey, wait up Mit!" He slowed down and looked over his shoulder, not surprised to see that she was tagging along. When she caught up, she looped her arm around his and tugged on it a little, "I have a small house on the docks, and you can stay there until you have to go meet Silver. I am sure it will beat staying in some inn or safe house." He did not reply, only sighed and nodded to her offer. Smiling as he turned, she led him along, resting her head on his shoulder. _God I missed you Mitsurigi. It is so good to see you again. _She was a little surprised when she felt his fingers intertwine with hers, but then just accepted the small show of affection with a slight reddening of her cheeks. _Both of us are demons, powerful beyond imagination. Killers, tactical and hardened, and he has me feeling like a giddy schoolgirl. _

The sky had cleared up by the time they got to her home, a small but luxurious two-level on the city's eastern docks. As she unlocked the door to let them in, Mitsurigi looked up at the shimmering stars and then asked quietly, "Phoenix, how have you been?" The question caught her off guard and he nearly dropped her key as she put it in her pocket. Upon not getting a response, he added, "I often wondered what you would make of yourself. I knew you would be fine, being a demon and all, but I had no idea you would follow in my footsteps and become an assassin." He followed her inside once the door was open, and lit her lanterns with a quick spell. As he walked through the small house, admiring it, he continued, "You were always so kind, and hated violence. How did you get into this business?"

_So he does care... _She smiled a little and spoke as she dug around in her cabinets for some bread and dried meat, "Well, to be honest, I have only been an assassin for about a half year now. Up until now, I have tried to keep my jobs to assassinating corrupt people or those who do harm to the innocent, to self-justify the job. But Lurick was offering so much money that I could not help but at least see who he wanted dead. He said it was the Wolf and Silver; I knew he meant you, so I turned him down and waited there for you to show up." As she finished speaking, she sat a tray of bread-sticks and dried beef on the table. He immediately dug in, eating in copious amounts, explaining it had been a month since he had eaten, not wanting to eat any of the disgusting food from the ship that brought him from Japan. While he was bolting down food like some starved animal, she giggled and asked in a mocking tone, "And what of you, Demon Lord Mitsurigi? What have you been doing the last five years?"

Swallowing down the food, he began to recount their time apart as it was to him. After a while, she brought out a tall bottle of wine, and they both drank from it and exchanged stories of the last few years. By the time morning broke, they were both red-faced drunk and just heading to bed. They lay in her small bed, his arms around her, holding her to his bare chest so he could feel the warmth he had grown to miss so much.


	2. Chapter 2

5

Chapter Two

When the sun rose the next morning, it was of course Mitsurigi who woke up when the fist rays of its light pierced the dark sky. He smiled at Phoenix who curled up tightly against him, then slid his arm from under her and got out of the bed silently. The English morning was frigid and his head was pounding from a hangover, so he shivered as he set to making a fire and finding tea to make. When his demonic flame was crackling in the hearth, he began to raid her cupboards for some tea; he could not find any, but found a pleasant smelling powder in a tea canister. Once he had some of it brewing, he slid on his kimono and helped himself to a loaf of bread and some of the leftover dried meat.

When the kettle began to whistle, it roused Phoenix from her sleep, bringing her from her room in a disheveled mess. She stared at her guest, and said in a groggy and slurred voice, "Good, you made coffee." Using a whale bone comb to untangle her bedridden hair, she sat down on a large armchair and held out her hands like a pouting child, "Cup."

After he had poured two mugs, he handed her one and said slowly, "So this is coffee, hm?" She nodded, already drinking hers as he sipped his, letting the hot and slightly bitter liquid wash down his throat. His glazed eyes opened as his tongue instantly lost the fuzzy feeling that a night of drinking left, and he downed the rest of the drink in a few quick drafts. Wiping his lips on the back of his hand, he poured himself another cup and said quickly, "I wish we had this in Japan! It is far better than tea." He drank this cup slowly, savoring the taste as his headache abated greatly. His dulled eyes were now vibrant and awake, both colors sparkling with alertness.

Over the course of an hour, they went through another two pots of the elixir, and their headaches were dull and barely noticeable. Mitsurigi eventually glanced at the clock and hurriedly stood up, setting his cup aside, "Damn, I have to meet Silver soon!" He grabbed his swords from the corner and tucked them into the sash on his waist as Phoenix jumped up and ran to get ready without speaking. Using the comb and a black ribbon, Mitsurigi straightened his hair and put it in the usual ponytail that hung to his waist. When he straightened his kimono to look presentable, he turned to see her. She had replaced her silk pants and bra with a pair of brown pants, brown boots, and a blue captain's coat she had won from a naval officer in a game of dice. As Mitsurigi ran some shimmering oil over his purple hair. She pulled her own into a ponytail and capped it with a tricorn sailing hat, then tucked a short katana and pistol into her belt. "You look so different," said Mitsurigi as he eyed the Europe themed demoness with a smile.

She blushed and smiled gently and looked at her reflection in the mirror, turning to admire herself from every angle, "Well, I have been here for nearly three years, so I have had to adjust. I can hardly imagine going back to wearing kimonos and sandals, or no shoes at all for that matter." Along with the pride at being able to blend into her new home, there was hint of sadness that Mitsurigi recognized as homesickness. He gave her a reassuring smile and lightly punched her shoulder. She laughed a little as the punch knocked her back onto her chair, then followed him out the door, "Hey old man, what are you runnin-" She was cut off from speaking as she saw what was going on outside.

There were a group of men in ragged clothing standing outside with cutlasses out, facing Mitsurigi who coldly stared them down, his hand resting lightly on one of his katanas. The shortest of the pirates, a boy of about eighteen, stepped forward and said in a surprisingly regal voice, "If you will follow us, Wolf, we will lead you to Captain Silver." He regarded Phoenix with a look of uncertainty then nodded for the other pirates to put up their weapons and fall in behind him. Mitsurigi sighed and began to follow the group, making sure his female companion was at his side.

_Silver must be a very cautious man, sending a group to fetch us... Wait, how did he know where I was? _He realized that Silver must have sent a scout to make sure that he successfully killed Lurick. _Either cautious or paranoid one. _He kept his eyes on the pirates ahead of him, and tried not to think about it too much. He felt Phoenix gently tug on the sleeve of his kimono and he looked back at her; she nodded to the water next to them with a curious expression. When Mitsurigi looked, he narrowed his eyes slightly in surprise; there was a large black shadow traveling alongside them, at least thirty feet long and moving like a serpent.

"Admiring one of the captain's pets, Wolf?' That was the young man who had spoken earlier, seeing that the two demons were watching the giant shadow. When Mitsurigi turned his head to face the boy, the youth laughed a little, "Aye, one of his pets. The smaller of the two, that is Kap. We have not seen the big guy in a while." He eyed the open sea with a mix of curiosity and fear, which made both demons feel a little uneasy. The rest of the trip was quiet, and they walked along the dock for about an hour until they came to a grate that allowed water drained from the street's culverts to enter the sea. The group of pirates had to all pull together to open the heavy object, and then went through.

Mitsurigi crouched and ducked through the opening, then shut it after Phoenix joined them. "So, he hides under the city?" He spun and drew his sword, blocking one of the men's cutlasses. He held the man back easily, even though the pirate was big and kept pressing.

The youth, seemingly in charge, yelled in French and the large pirate put up his sword and grumbled under his breath. The youth rolled his eyes and then forced a smile at Mitsurigi, "Pardon my brutish comrade, his attack was misguided. See, our captain hides nowhere, it is simply convenient to make base right under the feet of the citizens of this city." He motioned to the tunnel behind him, "This opens into a large grotto in a while, and we have made it into our own little city. It is quite marvelous." He had to admit that the prospect was interesting, so Mitsurigi slowly put up his sword and nodded to continue.

They kept walking for even longer, and Mitsurigi began to wonder if he and Phoenix had been tricked, but all of a sudden, they came to a dead end, meeting a brick wall with moss and slime covering it. "Okay you bastards, you think this is funny?" He once more placed his hand on his sword, but hesitated as the pirates laughed and stuck their hands into the walls on either side of the corridor. There was a clicking sound, then gears grinding as the dead end slowly shifted, then slid aside. Gritting his teeth, Mitsurigi cursed himself as he let go of his weapon and stepped through the opening. He shielded his eyes as they were assaulted by the light of many lanterns and fires.

He heard Phoenix gasp and saw why when he opened his eyes; they were really in a huge cavern under the city with many houses, shops, and even a tavern built down here. He was actually in silent awe for the first time in a long while, and the pirates chuckled and all left except the young one. He let the two newcomers look around a little before he motioned for them to follow him, "Just a little further now." They nodded in return, letting the pirate guide them through the subterranean city. There were not just pirates, but all manner of people down here, entire families with men, women, and children. As they watched a few families buy things from stores or just walk around, the young man explained, "The rejects of society. Silver promises a safe life for them all. Killers and thieves mostly, all allowed to live here for free as long as they swear loyalty to Silver and his army. It can be a dangerous place, but one of freedom."

He kept speaking, actually holding the pair's interest until they came to a stop in front of a large body of water, lit up by the sun. There was a huge hole in the side of the cavern, which must be the cliff on the rear of the island. Through this hole came the sea water, providing a large lagoon within the grotto. It was upon this lagoon that a large black ship with even darker sails bobbed slowly. They had both seen and ridden ships, but something about the vessel here made the pair of demons shiver a little as they were led up the gang-plank and onto the pirate ship. The deck of the ship was very clean, though weather –worn thought he sails overhead seemed almost unable to move the ship, so tattered and covered in poorly patched tears.

_Is this really the ship of a famous pirate, _he wondered as they crossed the deck full of pirates who were doing various chores, cleaning or just adjusting the cannons and rigging. As they walked below deck, the mixed smells of rum, tobacco smoke, and gunpowder made Mitsurigi's eyes water a little. Though this was definitely the craft of a pirate, he still had trouble believing this ancient tub was that of a powerful or wealthy one. However, these doubts melted away as they entered the captain's quarters. The room was hazy with cigar smoke, but the lanterns next to the door still made the gold in each corner, piled to the roof, glimmer and shine enough to hurt their unadjusted eyes. On the far side of the room was a mahogany desk with a proud, tall figure sitting behind it, obscured by their own cigar smoke.

"Ah, the lad of the hour!" The heavy voice of Silver boomed as he leaned forward and smiled with a mouthful of stark white teeth, some capped gold and silver. Licking his lips with anticipation, the captain closed his left eye, the right one having a solid gold ball in its socket after a naval musket took the real one. "So I been told tale says you killed that dog Lurick and his men all, in a minute, Wolf." He opens his eye and fixes his gaze on Mitsurigi who slowly nods. The captain grins once more and says with a slight chuckle, "So I says to m'self that all is good. But to you I say, I needs to hold proof. So, m'boy, did you get the proof I asked for?" He extended his bony hand, and uncurls his fingers with his palm up, waiting patiently.

At first Mitsurigi had a hard time understanding the way the Englishman spoke, but caught on that he wanted the necklace he had taken from Lurick's corpse. He took the short necklace out and walked towards the pirate. As he was about to hand it over, Phoenix screamed in surprise, causing him to turn, baring his fangs and claws. He faltered as Silver laughed, "That is just my pet. C'mere Nagita." Mitsurigi narrowed his eyes as a long black cobra unwound from Phoenix's shoulders and slid across the room to rest in its owners lap. "Now, the proof, boy," said Silver as he stroked the snake with his free hand. Mitsurigi relaxed and slapped the jewelry into the pirate's eager hand.

Upon doing so, he backed away to watch curiously as Silver inspected the oddly shaped pendant on the end. He is surprised when Silver brushes an army of gold and charts off the desk, revealing its surface; it was covered by a mural of the sea, and what looked like a puzzle made of words instead of images was in the center. In different areas, there were three missing pieces, which Silver ran his fingers over before motioning for the young pirate who led them to come over. The young man nodded, and walked over, pulling out a brooch and a broken sword hilt as he did. His captain quickly broke oddly shaped decorations from both, then waved off the youth who took his place next to the pair of demons. "A lifetime of searchin' And at long last…" He shakes the pieces in his hand with excitement, "I can **touch** it!" Laughing, Silver slowly pushed the pieces into the missing slots of the puzzle.

The cabin was filled with a faint humming that grew louder as the pieces fused, making a solid tablet. To most it would be meaningless as it was neither English nor Japanese writing. But Silver seemed ecstatic, running his hands shakily over the tablet as he began to read, "God of The Seas' final will: I seal my power in this form, leaving my final testament to my loyal disciples. You, my followers, must shatter my final will and spread it amongst man in a multitude, so it may never be whole. In this way I can finally be done with my eternal life, and my lovely sea many forever be free without dominion by any living being." The room filled with the humming as he read the last line with authority, "The waves are my mistress who none shall hold, so long as the map remains unwhole."

Suddenly, the noise stopped at once and it grew silent, nothing happening that they could see. Then, very slowly, the words began to move as if coming to life. The moved and writhed, like a mass of snakes as they connected. To the awe of everyone there, they finally stopped moving and left a complete map of the entire world. As the two pirates and two demons peered closer, two spots appeared to glow on the map. One was a shining white spot, while another was black. The white seemed to be at the lower end of the Americas while the black one was just off the coast of England. The young pirate stammered, "That black spot is us! So the white must be…"

"The temple!" As Silver finished the statement, the tablet flattened into a scroll and rolled up. When the map did this, the captain picked it up and tucked it into his coat. He sighed deeply, pushing back a few of his long silver braids that had come loose in his frenzy, "Tell you what, Wolf." He looked up, meeting Mitsurigi's eyes, "Fill your pockets with gold." He nodded to Phoenix and added, "You too, demoness. I know I said one thousand, but I feel generous and indebted. Fill your pockets and then meet me on deck." He lit a cigar and then stood, leaving the room with surprising speed for someone with a peg-leg. The young pirate followed behind his captain, leaving the two demons behind.

"Can you believe this, Mit?!" Phoenix laughed happily, stuffing the many pockets on her coat with gold and jewels from the piles that Silver kept in his quarters.

Mitsurigi nodded and filled his kunai pouch seeing as he had no pockets on his kimono. It did not take long, and even after filling up on gold, they had still not done much to lessen the fortune the captain had in just this one room. "It is hard to believe, but I am not going to argue with it. He seemed excited to have gotten that tablet completed. It probably leads to some treasure hoard that makes this look like nothing." She nodded in agreement and followed him through the belly of the ship and finally onto the deck. Mitsurigi was assaulted by sunlight and he growled, "What the hell?" The ship was floating along, a few miles from the coast now.

He turned to ask Phoenix what she thought but was cut off by the voice of the young pirate, "What do you mean, cap'n Silver?!" The boy sounded shocked and more than a little scared, so they briskly followed the cry to find the young pirate standing opposite the captain and the rest of the crew. The young man turned to see the two demons coming up behind him, and his face was twisted with fear, looking quite pale and sick. As Mitsurigi and his companion came beside the fearful man, the rest of the crew aimed pistols and rifles at them. They came to a stop and Mitsurigi narrowed his eyes and looked to Silver in annoyance. Silver only smiled, sitting on a large oak throne made onto the deck.

"Wolf, I am sorry about this, boy." Silver sighed, waving for the men to lower their weapons as he continued, "But you are those other two can't be allowed to leave this ship alive, and it is plenty crowded. See, you three saw me map, and I can't have you being a risk to my lifelong goal, now can I?" As he spoke, he petted his cobra Nagita, chewing on the end of his cigar as he smoked. He laughed at the end of his little speech and nodded to the three convicted people, "It is a shame and all, after you just helped me so much. But oh well, life is a cruel bitch, isn't she? You have to die now Wolf, Ben, and you young demoness."

While Phoenix was actually shocked by the words of the sea captain, and the young man was still in shock, Mitsurigi had been sort of expecting this and spoke with a calming voice, "Come now John Silver, let us go back to the mainland. I have my gold I earned, and we have no intent to take what your map promises." As the captain rolled his eyes and motioned for the crew to take aim, Mitsurigi continued, "Let us each have the life we earned helping you. There is no need for…"

Silver slowly reached down and pressed the red of his cigar onto a cannon's flash pan, making the large gun fire. The cannon ball whizzed out and smashed into Mitsurigi's abdomen, covering the deck in his blood and ripping the pouch of gold he carried. The sound of gold hitting the wooden floor was mixed with Phoenix yelling in terror and sorrow and the young pirate shouting for her to follow him.

She grabbed the badly injured Mitsurigi and followed the pirate as Silver's men began firing at them. In a panic, she muttered a quick spell which made their blood expand, killing a few of them as their veins exploded, but most simply gritted through her unfocused spell and kept firing, landing a few shots on her and her injured partner as she jumped over the railing just as the young man did, preparing to swim. Instead her and Mitsurigi landed in a lifeboat, their falling weight added to the weight of the man making the ropes snap and the boat fall into the water. She began casting spells back at the men who fired from the deck, including Silver who used a large blunderbuss with a cycling tube of preloaded paper shells. As a few of them fell, she pushed the man to the bottom of the small boat and shouted some spell that made the boat lurch forward faster than a team of rowers could make it. _Come on old man… don't die on me… Please… _


End file.
